"End Phase, Infernal Dragon's drawback activates."
Yuichi said sullenly.
"During the End Phase of a turn in which it attacked, this card is destroyed."
As he finished speaking, Infernal Dragon exploded into shards.
"But Infernal Dragon has another effect: when destroyed, by tributing a monster on your field, you can Special Summon it from your graveyard.
I tribute my trap monster, 'Swamp Mirrorer', to revive Infernal Dragon!"
The swamp monster disappeared as tribute, and Infernal Dragon immediately returned from the graveyard.
[Infernal Dragon, ATK 2000]
Kira glanced at his new card and immediately set it on the field.
Now, Megaroid City's other effect! Once per turn, destroy another card you control (other than itself) to add a 'roid' monster from your deck to your hand."
He pointed to the card he'd just set.
"I destroy my set card to search a 'roid' monster."
The set card exploded in golden light, and a card shot from his deck. Behind Kira, a huge domed metallic facility appeared.
"The card I destroyed was the Trap Card 'Wonder Garage'. When this set card is destroyed and sent to the grave, Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Machine monster from your hand." (anime effect)
The anime version allows any Level 4 or lower Machine; the real card only allows a 'roid'. But for Kira, it made no difference.
"So, I Special Summon 'Mixeroid' from my hand!"
Yuichi pouted. "This thing again..."
"Now, Mixeroid's effect! Once per turn, tribute a Machine monster to Special Summon a non-WIND 'roid' from your deck.
I tribute Mixeroid itself—"
Mixeroid disappeared as tribute, and the Duel Disk auto-searched his deck and ejected a card.
"I Special Summon—Level 8, Super Vehicroid - Stealth Union!"
A white jet burst from the vortex left by Mixeroid, rapidly transforming like a Transformer into a heavy white robot, landing on the field with a thud.
Yuichi was shocked, immediately activating his last card.
"Activate Trap! Bottomless Trap Hole—when a monster with 1500+ ATK is summoned, destroy and banish it!"
A bottomless abyss opened, swallowing the just-summoned Armoroid, and blasting it to pieces.
Spectators: "A Level 8 monster, gone in an instant..."
"Yamamoto isn't easy to deal with either."
Misawa folded his arms, frowning, but stayed silent.
Kira noted Yuichi's last back row was now gone.
So, it was a Bottomless trap hole after all.
But now all obstacles were cleared—the formula for victory was ready.
On the surface, it looked like the 2700-ATK Armoroid was the deck's ace monster, but actually, it was just a trap-baiting pioneer for the real boss.
"Now I normal summon the 'roid' monster I just searched with Megaroid City—"
Yuichi's eyelid twitched.
He'd been focused on the Garage-Summoned Mixeroid and the big monster it brought out and hadn't noticed. Now he remembered—City's effect lets you search any 'roid' monster. With an opponent , what would he search...?
"Normal Summon 'Submarineroid', in attack position."
Seeing that annoying little sub jump onto the field again, Yuichi almost wanted to scream at it.
See! I knew it! I just knew it!
That damn thing again!
The students were abuzz.
City searches Submarine, Submarine deals direct damage, City dumps Kiteroid for defense, Submarine switches to defense to block attacks, and next turn City can just search another Submarine...
Many realized this and gasped.
Thinking about it, this deck wasn't just toxic attack and defense, it was pretty intricate. At least none of the freshmen had ever seen it before.
"I thought 'roid' decks were pretty weak?" a student wondered.
"Me too. I saw a new student try one during entrance exams—ranked near the bottom in Slifer Red, super weak."
"It's not the deck, it's the player,"
Misawa finally spoke, a sly smile on his lips.
"No wonder he's number one. Interesting."
"Another direct attack from Submarineroid..." Yuichi gritted his teeth. "But even with City's ATK/DEF swap, I still have Life Points left. Next turn—"
"Activate Mixeroid's graveyard effect," Kira interrupted. "I pay half my Life Points, and—"
[Kira, LP 4000 → LP 2000]
Five cards shot from his graveyard.
Two Mixeroids, one Submarineroid, one Kiteroid, and one Truckroid from the first turn.
"I banish these five cards!"
Four 'roid' monsters' images merged into one Mixeroid, whose mixing drum spun ever faster until it burst into golden light and rumbled—
"Mixeroid's effect! Pay half your LP, and banish any number of Machines from your grave including itself.
Then Special Summon a 'roid' Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck with a Level equal to the number banished, ignoring summoning conditions.
But the monster will self-destruct at the end of the turn.
I banished five, so I Special Summon a Level 5 'roid' Fusion Monster.
—Level 5, Super Vehicroid - Pair Cycloid!"
From the golden vortex, a tiny bicycle drifted out, skidded to a stop, and spun its handlebars in a cocky pose.
[Pair Cycloid, ATK 1600]
Yuichi frowned. "Even if you summon that weakling—"
"Battle phase! Pair Cycloid can reduce its ATK by 500 to attack directly!" Kira declared. (anime effect) Follow current novels on noveⅼfire.net
(The real card's effect was even buffed in the real TCG, but here the anime effect was enough—plus, with Submarineroid's 1800 direct, that's 2900 damage—plenty.)
Yuichi almost jumped out of his skin.
Looking at the cartoonish little bike, he felt like he was staring at the Grim Reaper.
Even your fusion monsters are !?
Aren't fusion users supposed to love those cool, powerful bosses and epic monster showdowns?
Yet all game long, there'd barely been a single proper monster fight; this was just—what even was this duel!?
But as the saying goes: "Cowardice may be shameful, but it works."
The poor Infernal Dragon could only watch as a bicycle and a submarine, one after the other arrogantly zoomed over its head and directly smacked its owner in the face.
Helplessly watching the sub and bike sweep over, Yuichi just wanted to scream.
This wasn't even a duel!
[Yuichi, LP 2200 → 0]